Ubuntu to Join the Crowded Mobile OS Fray

I say that in jest, of course. But, yes, another contender has stepped up to the plate. On Wednesday, Canonical shared more details on Ubuntu, the Android-based operating system aimed squarely at taking the third-place seat behind the two current market leaders, Android and iOS.

I won’t get too far into the woods explaining the differences from Android proper — which are mostly pretty nerdy — but Canonical is positioning the OS as “more immersive, less cluttered” and easily navigable. The company also claims it is strong enough to function as a PC, which means that it can hook up to desktop peripherals and work like any old computer (though that sort of implementation wasn’t a huge draw for Motorola).

Here’s the thing. RIM already has a strong (though waning) foothold in the market. Microsoft is pumping hundreds of millions into its Windows Phone bet. And third-place contenders of the past, like webOS, have tried and failed to gain a meaningful following.

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